


Stay the Night

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: After the events of Mine, Ydris doesn't leave. Daine belongs to HellishSam.





	Stay the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HellishSam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellishSam/gifts).



Daine wasn't surprised to wake up to a pounding head and dry mouth, coupled with dry skin. The room felt too warm, the sunlight coming in through the window behind them too bright. He groaned, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. But then, he felt movement behind him. A pale-skinned arm coming up to drape over his waist and pull him in closer to the body behind him. For a moment, Daine froze, his eyes opening despite the pain of the sunlight stabbing into his eyes. He could see his pale carpet, the white sheet that he lay on, the hole in the drywall directly across from him where he'd punched the wall in a rage after a fight with the man currently lying behind him.

Ydris had never stayed over before. Daine almost didn't want to move, not wanting this to disappear and all be a dream. After the past five days, it wouldn't surprise him if Ydris did disappear. But last night... last night had been so different. So new. Ydris had never even been to South Hoof before this, had never really left the highland. Why see the world that he was only going to destroy? But he'd come here, all the way here, in the rain, just to see Daine and apologise to him. To... to ask him to be his boyfriend. Daine pressed his lips together so that he wouldn't cry, laying his head back on the pillow that had already seen so many tears. Ydris was here now, for good, at least emotionally. He'd probably have to leave later, though. To go back to the circus, back to his job. And Daine would have to go back to doing jobs, to training, to- Cloud.

The memory of that sweet horse, of his look of fear and pain when Daine had hit him once during those past five days, was enough to break the slim shred of control that Daine had over himself. He pressed his face into his white pillow, trying to muffle the sound of his sobs as his shoulders shook. He felt Ydris' long fingers, still pale despite the lack of a glove, stroke over his hair against his face, catching a lock of Daine's hair and curling it around his fingers.

"My phoenix," Ydris murmured, his lips brushing Daine's shoulder just at the edge of his scar. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Cloud," was all that Daine was able to get out before he broke down. Ydris made soft hushing noises, not to silence Daine, but to soothe him. His hand stroked down along Daine's arm until he reached his darker fingers, twining them together.

"L'amour," said Ydris, taking Daine's hand in his and gently trying to tug Daine over to face him. Daine didn't want to, especially with the sun shining in the window behind Ydris through the non-existent curtain. Daine had been meaning to put curtains up, but what the hell? It wasn't like anyone would see his bedroom except for him. Until now, anyway. But hearing Ydris call him 'love' made him just that little bit happier, so he turned to face his boyfriend. Boyfriend. And that word made him feel even better. Ydris was here, in his bed, looking at him with such tenderness in his eyes. Ydris reached his right hand up to brush away Daine's tears, a tender gesture that made Daine's chest ache. Ydris at least made his bedhead look good, Daine noticed. He was slightly jealous of that fact.

"I love you," said Daine, his voice croaky from crying. Ydris pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Moi aussi, je t'aime," said Ydris. Daine closed his eyes, clenching his teeth together, and then buried his head in Ydris' chest. His body shook as he cried again, and he felt ridiculous. Ydris had only told him that he loved him too, in French no less, and here he was, having a breakdown over it. But Daine couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done during those five days. How he'd considered throwing everything away, considered trying to join Tyler, been rude to those who'd tried to help him and even pushed away the horse who meant the world to him. Ydris was here now, yes, but... now Daine had to fix everything that he'd broken while Ydris had been away.

"Cloud flew away," said Daine, his voice barely able to form the words. "I hit him because I'm an asshole and then I didn't even-" He trembled. "I just went back inside and got another bottle of vodka."

"Oh, my phoenix, I'm sorry," said Ydris, kissing Daine's forehead. Daine looked up at him, his eyes between orange and purple. "Had I come sooner, you would not have lashed out."

"You're damn right it's your fault," said Daine, raising his voice. And then he felt bad. Ydris had come back and Daine was already yelling at him again. He fell silent, pressing his lips together and sniffling.

"Have you perhaps asked around if anyone has seen your horse?" Ydris asked, the weight of his arm around Daine's side reassuring. "The other residents of this island, your friends?"

"No," said Daine. "I haven't done anything else but drink and mope until you got here. I'm a fucking sad sack."

"You were heartbroken," said Ydris after a few moments of silence. Daine knew that Ydris was probably letting that sink in. He was glad. Glad that Ydris cared, glad that he was finally listening and paying attention to Daine's feelings. "One can hardly blame you for taking to bed for almost a week."

"Cloud's special, though," said Daine. "I should go find him. I can do that today while you..." He didn't want to say the words, didn't want this moment to end, for Ydris to leave.

"I will help you," said Ydris. Daine looked up at him, brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Daine asked. His eyes were still that awful sunset colour, but at least the tears were drying now.

"The circus is going to be... temporarily shut down," said Ydris.

"Really?" Daine asked.

"I left you alone for too long and it almost cost me my phoenix, the love of my life," said Ydris. The words made Daine feel like crying again. "The circus will be fine without me. You, on the other hand, may not be."

"You're putting your dream on hold for me?" Daine asked, floored at the very idea. That someone would love him enough to put his needs, his happiness, above their own. Maybe this was what love was. Not just feelings of agonising loneliness when he was without Ydris, or the warm feelings that he got with him, but this... this feeling of being cherished, being adored. Ydris nodded, and Daine could have sworn that his heart stopped in his chest.

"My phoenix, je'tadore," said Ydris. Daine knew that his face must have looked really stupid, twisted up into a grin while his lower lip trembled and his eyes teared up again, vibrant purple now, but he didn't care. He only threw his arms around Ydris, pressing his face into Ydris' shoulder. Ydris even smelled like him for once, having bathed with Daine's strawberry-scented products the night before. Unfortunately, Daine hadn't had any clothes that would fit Ydris, so Ydris had had to make do with a pair of old grey sweatpants that were a little short in the leg. But there was still the faintest scent of cotton candy. Maybe it was a Pandorian thing, but Daine knew from experience that Ydris certainly didn't taste like cotton candy. His mouth did, though.

Daine kissed that mouth now, pressing closer to Ydris for no other reason than to just feel him. To feel Ydris' heartbeat echoed in his own chest, to feel the physical form of Ydris' presence. And Ydris returned the kiss, their heads together on the pillow. Ydris was hugging Daine just as tightly as Daine was hugging him, now. Even when their lips parted, though, Daine rested his forehead against Ydris', closing his eyes.

"Thank you," Daine whispered, enjoying the feeling of Ydris' heartbeat against his chest, the feeling of Ydris' breath on his lips as Ydris looked at him. Up close, Daine could see the purple tint to his boyfriend's eyes that others dismissed as only a trick of the light or his imagination. He loved that purple tint, if only because it made him feel better about his own eyes.

"I can never fully repay you for the hurt that I put you through," said Ydris, his hand resting gently on Daine's hip now, just above the top of his pale blue tracksuit pants that he'd slept in. "But I can try."

"You could start by making me breakfast," said Daine, half-joking. He was surprised, then, when Ydris gave him a kiss on the forehead and sat up in the bed. "What?"

"I will make you breakfast, my phoenix," said Ydris, giving him a wink and a cheeky grin. The sight of that smile made Daine smile in return. "I have already removed your hangover so that you can eat without worrying about your stomach."

"I didn't even notice," said Daine. He frowned. "Wait. Is that why you were playing with my hair?"

"It was both a caress and a gift," said Ydris. Daine couldn't stop the grin that flashed across his face, though he quickly changed it into a smile.

That smile stayed as Ydris left the room, looking uncharacteristically... normal in his sweatpants and nothing else. Daine grabbed Ydris' pillow and hugged it once Ydris had left, grinning so much that his cheeks hurt. He purred for the first time since before that damn disco, glad that there was nobody around to hear him being so... sappy. But he had every right to be sappy, he figured, his boyfriend was cooking him breakfast in nothing but his tracksuit pants and okay maybe he should go out and take a good look at that.

But Daine wanted to just lay here in bed for a while, hugging Ydris' pillow and breathing in the scent of him. He could still barely believe that Ydris had been in this bed with him last night. And not for the reason that he'd initially envisioned- it hadn't been for a booty call or anything carnal. Ydris had simply asked Daine if he could use his shower to wash off the mud and rain. Daine had let him, expecting his boyfriend to leave. But then... then Ydris had asked if Daine had anything for him to sleep in. Daine had still been pinching himself even as Ydris had climbed into bed with him and wrapped his arms around him. He liked it a lot, even more than waking up next to Ydris in his wagon. Not that Ydris' bed wasn't nice, just... this made it feel more official. Real. Ydris was his boyfriend. Daine's, and nobody else's.

Eventually, the smell of something delicious cooking drew Daine out of bed, even convincing him to let go of Ydris' pillow. He wasn't going to tell anyone that he'd been hugging that pillow like some lovestruck fool. Not even Ydris.

And there was Ydris, his back to Daine so that Daine could only see the pale, muscled expanse of his boyfriend's back above the loose grey sweatpants. They were too shapeless for Daine to see the body beneath, but it wasn't the body that he was looking at. Having someone cook for him was just... just so damn sexy. And it made his heart seem to swell in his chest, moving up to his throat. He really shouldn't be crying over this, but damn.

"Is French toast okay, my phoenix?" Ydris asked, turning to look at Daine over his shoulder.

"That sounds perfect," said Daine, his lips twisting together in an effort not to grin like a complete and utter fool in front of his boyfriend.

"I was going to make pancakes but, well, your pantry is rather bare," said Ydris.

"And you didn't want to just magic it up?" Daine asked. He'd half-expected that, honestly. Not that he didn't think that Ydris was capable of doing sweet things, but Ydris was the type of guy who would use magic if the alternative meant getting his hands dirty.

"You are worth the effort, my phoenix," said Ydris. "Every time." The look in his eyes was so sincere, so full of love. Daine's breath hitched in his throat as that gaze landed on him. And Daine crossed the faded white linoleum in a few strides, stopping in front of Ydris, who'd turned around to kiss him. And for the first time, Daine could enjoy the feeling of love that swelled in his chest. Enjoy it without the nagging fear, the wonder of if he should be feeling this way, if Ydris really loved him back. Because he knew, now, that Ydris did love him back. More than he ever could have imagined. He could feel it in Ydris' kiss, in the way that Ydris had closed the circus for him, come all this way in the rain for him, stayed the night for him, with him. And now, here he was, cooking Daine breakfast.

Ydris certainly didn't do his grand gestures by halves. And Daine sure as hell appreciated it.


End file.
